Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-02-18

tlnl0 MhQSe tragic ana Tue GTGuDl0
with Cousin Barbara was forgotten,
1t was not till light hand was laid
On his shoulder and q ripping laugh
fell on his ear that he looked up from
the open drawer into the sweet face OF
the lady who had bewitched him.
SIS this what you call meeting me by
the garden gate and bringing me in to tea
with Cousin Bah? Look you, sir. T
have mind to be very angry"
mot with me TO- night, sweet lady. I
have had much to trouble and vex me
"a letter here which gives me endless
worry. Beside, Cousin Bah has gone
to bed-she is not WE'LL"
"Gone to bedl Oh, then, ought
not to have come, suppose"
"Since You are here, however, You
will not 60. Let us chat together for a
little; later on I will see You home"
And he rolled an easy chair to where
she stood and invited her to sink down
into its softness, for Trevor Lane was
q sybarite in his home. Madge Craigie
obeyed him, and, tossing her straw hat
from her head to the ground, lay back
among soft cushions--her golden, wavy
hair and white skin forming a striking
contrast to their crimson hue
For moment or two he sat and gazed
at her in mute admiration, till her mer-
ry laugh recalled him to himself.
"One would think that I am picture
"a lovely picture" she said, instead
Of"
$50 you are picture-a lovely pic
ture-the embodiment of my perfect
ideal. Say, Madge, beautiful Madge,
will You be my own, my wife, my very
true, devoted, loving w1fe?"
She looked into his eyes, still laugh
ing.
Dear me, what an amount of truth
and devotion and tenderness you seem
to require. And pray may I ask how
much you intend to give in return ?"
my thoughts by day, my dreams by
nlght-everything I have shall be yours
il only you will consent. My dearest
Madge, do not keep me in suspense, but
tell me-"
''Stop your raphsodies, foolish, man!
Believe me, am not worth them. III
acknowledge, however, that + am rather
fond of you, perhaps on account OF the
spontanelty there is about you. Hope
it will last, though-there, don't gush
again. [ believe you'll try and be true
to me, and'-with more seriousness of
manner---"I will never be false to you"
He tried to take her in his arms but
she repulsed him gently, bidding INN
be rational and discuss their future
prospects calmly, and so, for awhile,
they did, no illusion being made to
Cousin Barbara, Or the part she was
likely to play in their lives.
On sudden Madge's eye fell on the
open drawer.
"Wilfrid Lane!" she exclaimed point
ing to some papers on which that name
was written. "Wiltrid Lane? is he g.
relation of yours? How odd I should
never have thought Of that before"
"Why? Do you know him?
IT know Wilfrid Lane! As we'll Us
though he were my own brother"
"How strange! he is my hale
brother"
eyes, he is much older than you are.
When did you see him last?"
II have not seen him for seven
years."
"Ab! Of course; he is always abroad.
But YOU go abroad sometimes; why not
to see your brother?
"There have been family differences,
Madge."
"Oh! It will be awkward when we
are married if may never see Wilfred.
[ wonder what he will say when he
hears that I am going to marry you"
A sort of q shiver passed over Trevor
Lane.
my brother Wilfred is scarcely the
sort of man with whom I should care
for my wife to be on intimate terms" he
said.
ooh, yes, I know he is vaurien, but
that can't hurt me, and he is very anus
ing. Quite treat to see his dear old
handwriting in your drawer"
''He ruined Cousin Barbara---that's
why she is here" persisted Trevor.
VERY likely. He ruined my father
and my father ruined him; that's whyI
am poor. Yet I owe him no grudg
Trevor; why should you?" and once
more she looked into his eyes with that
strange mesmerlc power she had, which
set every nerve in his body vibrating.
And from talk Of Wilfred Lane they
drifted back once more to themselves
and their own affairs, murmuring to-
gether softly in the light OF the pale
moon, which had risen and cast magic
spell over the scene; broken at last,
however, by little scream from Madge.
"What is it? I heard something
moving. Is it DOGGY or Cousin Bah %
''Cousin Bab!" And Trever, indig-
nant lest Bah should have been listen
ing, went through the portieres into the
painting room, the noon, as it were,
followed him.
mo one to be seen-~on into the gar
den he passed. Barbara was in her
room; he could see the reflection OF her
form on the drawn blind. Instead of
returning to the spot where he had left
Madge he walked down the garden and
| called her to come to him. "The night
| was so beautiful, the moon so bright, !"
he said, lit was better there than in
| doors"
From the garden they strolIed into
an adjoining wood, along q pathway
leading to the village where Miss
Craigie dwelt. The vicar was her I'M
Gle, and she was on visit there for a
while. Nor did they come back to
Trevor's cottage that evening; on the
contrary he went into the vicarage and
stayed talking to the vicar till past 10
o'clock.
How he should tell Barbara that he
| was absolutely engaged to Madge
Craigie puzzled him not little during
his walk home, and probably would
have engrosed him even more had not
his thoughts been diverted from
it by almost feeling of annoyance
that his Madge should be on friendly